Suicide bombing kills at least 57 at Kabul voter ID site

By

Sam Howard

A wounded child is evacuated from the site of a suicide bombing outside a voter registration center in Kabul, Afghanistan on April 22, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd outside a voter registration center killing dozens of people and wounding at least 100 in the latest attack on the voting centers. The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, 2018 Photo by Ezatullah Alidost/UPI | License Photo

April 22 (UPI) -- A suicide bombing killed at least 57 people and wounded more than 100 others at a voter registration site in Kabul, Afghanistan, the Afghan Health Ministry said.

The blast hit Sunday morning as peopled waited to pick up their voter identification cards ahead of the country's October elections, Interior Ministry spokesman Najeeb Danish told VOA News. According to the Washington Post, Kabul police chief Mohammad Daoud Amin said a suicide bomber carrying explosives on his body started the blast.

The Islamic State group of militants has claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place at a school in the Afghan capital that's now housing a voter registration office.

Voters will select candidates to fill the nation's parliament and provincial councils in October. Afghan officials hope it will be the first time the country relies on formal voter lists for an election.